1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric connector technology and more particularly, to a stacked multi-port connector, which has metal shielding members respectively attached to plate members between conducting terminals, which are electrically coupled with light-emitting devices of a light-emitting module, and circuit boards of filter modules, protecting signal transmission through the mating terminals from electromagnetic interference and assuring a high level of signal transmission stability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of computer technology, desk computers and notebook computers are well developed and widely used in different fields for different applications. It is the market trend to provide computers having high operating speed and small size. Further, network communication technology brings people closer, helping people to gather information about living, learning, working and recreational activities.
Further, to fit the market trend to create computers and electronic products having light, thin, short and small characteristics, electric connectors for computer and electronic product must be small-sized. Further, using electronic connectors in a computer must consider the problem of interfering noises that include internal noises and surrounding electromagnetic waves. Further, a RJ45 connector is for digital communication application. To eliminate signal interference, a network connector may have a filter module built therein. Further, to fit rapid computer executing speed, signal transmission frequency of related integrated circuits on, for example, Ethernet architecture, has been improved from early 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps to existing 1 Gbps or even 10 Gbps. However, increasing the transmission frequency relatively increases the risk of noise interference. This problem will be more serious in stacked multi-port connector.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a stacked multi-port connector according to the prior art. According to this design, the stacked multi-port connector comprises an electrically insulated holder member A and a filter module B accommodated in an accommodation space A0 in the holder member A. The holder member A defines multiple rows of mating slots A1 arranged at different elevations, and locating grooves A11 respectively and bilaterally disposed at the top side corresponding to each mating slot A1. Further, terminal blocks A2 are accommodated in the accommodation space A0 of the holder member A, holding upper and lower rows of mating terminals A21. The mating terminals A21 have the respective curved front ends respectively positioned in the mating slots A1 of the holder member A, and the respective rear ends respectively bonded to circuit boards B2 at two sides of each of base members B1 of the filter module B. The filter module B further comprises a plurality of conducting terminals B11 respectively connected to the circuit boards B2 and electrically coupled to filter components B21 at the circuit boards B2.
Further, plate members B3 are respectively disposed at two opposite lateral sides relative to the circuit boards B2, each having a plurality of pinholes 831. The stacked multi-port connector further comprises a plurality of light-emitting devices C. The light-emitting devices C are respectively positioned in the locating grooves A11, having pins C1 thereof respectively inserted into the pinholes B31.
According to the aforesaid prior art design, no any metal shielding means is provided between the pins C1 of the light-emitting devices C and the circuit boards B2 for noise protection. During operation of the stacked multi-port connector, the signal of the light-emitting devices C may interfere with the network signal being transmitted through the mating terminals A21, affecting network signal transmission stability. This noise interference problem will become serious when the number of the mating slots A1 and the number of the pins C1 of the light-emitting devices C are increased.
Therefore, there is a strong demand for a stacked multi-port connector, which eliminates the aforesaid noise interference problem.